The Easter Table

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When I was younger I had a vision of what God looked like…

Old man with short black hair. He was up there watching me down here. In the way I grew up God would watch me and take notes, he always had a legal pad, and he was taking noted on my behavior. My Aunt would tell me God is watching, God is watching, and while she meant well it created this thing inside of me that caused me to feel like I was living under a divine microscope. And she would tell me along with people in the church, God and sin doesn’t mix. God and sinners don’t mix.

You know what happens next, I messed up as a kid, and I did it again, and again and again and in my head all I could see was God flipping that paper one right after the other. In my head the image of that notepad with my sin was very, very long. and I started to feel like God doesn’t mix with me b/c I am a sinner. She did some other amazing things, that’s not the whole story, ultimately she’s the reason I am standing here today. This is just a part of the story.

But those interactions eventually built my view of God. You have that too don’t you?

Angry God — always mad, waiting for you to mess up

Disappointed God

Separate God — doesn’t mix with you

Holy but you can’t show up

Disappointed God — you can never make him happy

Note taking God — tracking all your mistakes to make sure the ledger sheet balances at the end of your life

Military God — authoritarian he’s in charge and you just function inside of his world, no free will

There are a myriad of other versions of God, or views of God, I am not sure which one might strike closest to you but here’s what I know about you even though we may have never spoken, you have a version of God and I bet some of us have the wrong one.

Today’s story is an Easter story that isn’t built around the resurrection, but it’s an Easter story. In fact, I think it captures the heart of God in a beautiful and tangible way. If you have your Bibles, we’re going to be in Mark :2;13-14, don’t have a Bible that’s fine, we’ll put it on the screen.

TRUTH

Mark 2:13–14 NIV

13 Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to him, and he began to teach them. 14 As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector’s booth…

We fly by this part. Matthew was the worst of the worst in the eyes of the Jewish people.

Got rich taking from the Jews.

Family likely disowned him.

No friends.

Romans didn’t like him.

Many viewed him as cursed by God.

The Mishnah describes tax collectors making daily rounds, “exacting payment of men with or without their consent,” or, as here, sitting at tax stands with account books open and pen in hand (m. Avot 3:16). Edwards, J. R. (2002). The Gospel according to Mark (p. 82). Eerdmans; Apollos.

Land and poll taxes were collected directly by the Romans, but taxes on transported goods were contracted out to local collectors, most of whom were ethnic Jews but probably not observant Jews, since Torah-conscious Jews could not be expected to transact business with Gentiles. Levi was one of these middlemen (or in the service of one) who made bids in advance to collect taxes in a given area. His own profit came from what he could mulct from his constituents, and a portion of his receipts stayed in his own pockets. The Roman system of taxation depended on graft and greed, and it attracted enterprising individuals who were not adverse to such means. Edwards, J. R. (2002). The Gospel according to Mark (p. 82). Eerdmans; Apollos.

Location of the Tax Booth — last stop before crossing the border.

The chances are he was working for Herod Antipas. When Antipas’s father, Herod the Great, had died in 4 bc, his large kingdom had been divided between three of his sons: Archelaus got Judaea in the south; Antipas got Galilee in the north, with some bits of the Jordan valley thrown in. Philip got the part we today call the Golan Heights, extending up into Syria. And the border between Antipas’s territory and Philip’s was the river Jordan as it ran south from Mount Hermon into the Sea of Galilee. The last town you’d go through travelling east from Antipas’s land into Philip’s, or the first you’d come to going west into Galilee, was Capernaum. Wright, T. (2004). Mark for Everyone (p. 20). Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge.

Matthew would have been treated the worst of the people b/c of his profession.

Yelling profanity as they went by — spitting on him and his booth — shouting curses at him — grumbling and discontent — likely disowned by his family.

But this morning, someone walked by and didn’t yell, curse or tear him down. Instead, this man, a religious man (the religious people had disowned him, wasn’t even allowed in the Temple) walked by and said...

Mark 2:14 NIV

14 … “Follow me…”

Up until this point Matthew had been rejected by everyone and every institution to include the church (Temple). Yet, here is this man, with a following of people looks over and says.. follow me.

For the first time… this rejected man is invited by someone.

Mark 2:14 NIV

14 … “Follow me,” Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him.

Not only does Jesus ask him to follow, Jesus goes even further b/c that’s the Jesus way.

Mark 2:15–16 NIV

15 While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16 When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

Many scholars believe that Matt provided this meal and invited his business associates so they could meet Jesus. Either way, Jesus and his followers are invited into the room with people who don’t understand or care about God. Right where Jesus wants them and right where Jesus wants to be.

Believe it or not Jesus loves gatherings of sinners. (That’s why we love Sunday’s. B/c this is a church of sinners) Look at somebody and call them a sinner.

Why? B/c there he can heal, help and love. It’s in the circle of sinner that the person of Jesu really comes alive b/c he can show them what God looks like. Not what tradition told them, not what grandma or grandpa told them — who God really is. Jesus came to show us what God is like.

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They ask b/c in their world, you didn’t associate with anyone who wasn’t like you. In their mind, if you didn’t follow the Law then you were a sinner. They weren’t there for you, the religious establishment was there to remind you of what you did wrong and how you need to fix yourself. They certainly didn’t sit and eat with sinners. Those people needed to get their lives right before the religious elite would come and sit with them at a table.

Jesus does just the opposite. He sits with them — why? B/c he came for them.

As we’re going to see no one is too far for Jesus.

Mark 2:17 NIV

17 On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

In other words — I’m here for these people. These people need to know about God. They need to be reunited with him. They just don’t know what he looks like. I’m here to show them what he looks like.

But Jesus they’re sinners.

thieves

non believers

corrupted people

Jesus says yep — I know. And that’s where I want to be. Right here with them — I came for them — so they could have a relationship with me and my Father.

Here’s why this is an Easter story. B/c this is my story. This is your story. This is the Gospel. He came for people who didn’t deserve him or a relationship with him.

My testimony >>> Jesus saved me and changed my life.

Lying

Treating people poorly

Bad husband

Putting work ahead of my family

Addicted to pornography

Drinking too much

Leading people poorly — my needs above theirs

Selfish like you couldn’t believe

And Jesus shows up at my table — Brandon I am here for you. Lord, I am not worthy, “yeah you don’t need to be. Not a prerequisite.” I am here to eat with you and heal you from your dysfunction, hurts, hang ups, all of it I am here for you. Follow me.

But Lord, I am too broken. You don’t want me at the table..… Maybe someone in here has experienced those feelings before too. Maybe as I am telling the story you’re sitting there making a list of all the wrong you’ve done and why Jesus would never invite you to follow him.

Pastor you don’t understand....

Drinking — drugs — hurt people — lied — stolen — the things I’ve said to people — the things I’ve done — the things that have been done to me — the pain I have caused....

I am too far to be redeemed. I am too far to be saved.

No you’re not.

On the cross Jesus, after being put there by the people looks out to them and says...

Luke 23:39–43 NIV

39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Doesn’t matter where you are… Jesus invites you… he gives you the gift. The King went to the cross for you and then invites you to follow him.

Like he did Matthew.

Like he did the criminal.

The story of Matthew is the story of Easter — It’s God’s invitation to come sit at his table.

IDK what type of God you grew up with…

Angry God

Didn’t care God

Not good enough God

No grace God

Absent God

That’s not God, that’s how he was represented to you. But Jesus shows us a different God. He shows us a God that sits and eats with people who are nothing like him.

He shows us a God that has room for you and for me at his table. And here’s the key… all we have to do is accept the invitation.

There’s room for you at the Table.

No matter what you’ve done, no matter who you’ve done it to, Jesus says from the cross you will be with me in paradise.

INVITATION

Jesus invites you to follow him.

Heather and Team comes up.

ANOTHER POSSIBLE ENDING

And just a few moments later… one of the criminals call to Jesus and says… (paraphrase as the scripture comes up)

Luke 23:39 NIV

One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”

Luke 23:40–43 NIV

But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

I imagine meeting that guy in heaven.

Never been to a Bible Study

Never been to Starting Point

Never served on a Team

Never joined the church

I imagine he got stopped on the way into heaven, wait um who are you? How did you get here?

Moses — David — Abraham — Isaiah — John the Baptist

IDK, the man on the middle cross said I could come.

Luke 23:34–35 NIV

34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 35 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”

I mean if you’ve ever felt that he doesn’t have enough forgiveness for you… I am a visual person, I think when Jesus said this he said it across all of time and space. I think his words echoed in the cosmos and they for each one of us sitting here today.

I think those words echoes over your life when you where making those decision you wish you could take back.

Said that to her — took another hit from the line — lost your temper — destroyed that relationship — hurt your mother or father — rejected your son or daughter.

Luke 23:34 NIV

Father, forgive them...

Point is >>> you’ve never been too far from God. Too broken. Too dysfunctional. Too dirty.